diff --git a/examples/spark/images/Makefile b/examples/spark/images/Makefile
index fe86c4fec3f..fd6341105f9 100644
--- a/examples/spark/images/Makefile
+++ b/examples/spark/images/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ all: push
 # this tag and reset to v1. You should also double check the native
 # Hadoop libs at that point (we grab the 2.6.1 libs, which are
 # appropriate for 1.5.1-with-2.6).
-TAG = 1.5.1_v1
+TAG = 1.5.1_v2
 
 containers:
 	docker build -t gcr.io/google_containers/spark-base base
diff --git a/examples/spark/images/master/start.sh b/examples/spark/images/master/start.sh
index 4cb36511198..7592c8a5278 100755
--- a/examples/spark/images/master/start.sh
+++ b/examples/spark/images/master/start.sh
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
 . /start-common.sh
 
 echo "$(hostname -i) spark-master" >> /etc/hosts
-export SPARK_LOCAL_HOSTNAME=spark-master
-export SPARK_MASTER_IP=spark-master
 
-/opt/spark/sbin/start-master.sh
-tail -F /opt/spark/logs/*
+# Run spark-class directly so that when it exits (or crashes), the pod restarts.
+/opt/spark/bin/spark-class org.apache.spark.deploy.master.Master --ip spark-master --port 7077 --webui-port 8080
diff --git a/examples/spark/images/worker/Dockerfile b/examples/spark/images/worker/Dockerfile
index 99a194a1708..bb113e2dbd4 100644
--- a/examples/spark/images/worker/Dockerfile
+++ b/examples/spark/images/worker/Dockerfile
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ FROM gcr.io/google_containers/spark-base:latest
 
 ADD start.sh /
 ADD log4j.properties /opt/spark/conf/log4j.properties
-EXPOSE 8080
+EXPOSE 8081
 
 ENTRYPOINT ["/start.sh"]
diff --git a/examples/spark/images/worker/start.sh b/examples/spark/images/worker/start.sh
index 6868518701f..058df5b18a9 100755
--- a/examples/spark/images/worker/start.sh
+++ b/examples/spark/images/worker/start.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,5 @@
 
 . /start-common.sh
 
-/opt/spark/sbin/start-slave.sh spark://spark-master:7077
-
-tail -F /opt/spark/logs/*
+# Run spark-class directly so that when it exits (or crashes), the pod restarts.
+/opt/spark/bin/spark-class org.apache.spark.deploy.worker.Worker spark://spark-master:7077 --webui-port 8081
diff --git a/examples/spark/spark-driver-controller.yaml b/examples/spark/spark-driver-controller.yaml
index d0a3621a6f4..1e77910016a 100644
--- a/examples/spark/spark-driver-controller.yaml
+++ b/examples/spark/spark-driver-controller.yaml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
         - name: spark-driver
-          image: gcr.io/google_containers/spark-driver:1.5.1_v1
+          image: gcr.io/google_containers/spark-driver:1.5.1_v2
           resources:
             requests:
               cpu: 100m
diff --git a/examples/spark/spark-gluster/spark-master-controller.yaml b/examples/spark/spark-gluster/spark-master-controller.yaml
index 3569329d36c..6eb5082a513 100644
--- a/examples/spark/spark-gluster/spark-master-controller.yaml
+++ b/examples/spark/spark-gluster/spark-master-controller.yaml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
         - name: spark-master
-          image: gcr.io/google_containers/spark-master:1.5.1_v1
+          image: gcr.io/google_containers/spark-master:1.5.1_v2
           ports:
             - containerPort: 7077
           volumeMounts:
diff --git a/examples/spark/spark-gluster/spark-worker-controller.yaml b/examples/spark/spark-gluster/spark-worker-controller.yaml
index a85884d6e1d..1689348eb8e 100644
--- a/examples/spark/spark-gluster/spark-worker-controller.yaml
+++ b/examples/spark/spark-gluster/spark-worker-controller.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
         - name: spark-worker
-          image: gcr.io/google_containers/spark-worker:1.5.1_v1
+          image: gcr.io/google_containers/spark-worker:1.5.1_v2
           ports:
             - containerPort: 8888
           volumeMounts:
diff --git a/examples/spark/spark-master-controller.yaml b/examples/spark/spark-master-controller.yaml
index d497b4183c4..f002dc72339 100644
--- a/examples/spark/spark-master-controller.yaml
+++ b/examples/spark/spark-master-controller.yaml
@@ -13,19 +13,10 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
         - name: spark-master
-          image: gcr.io/google_containers/spark-master:1.5.1_v1
+          image: gcr.io/google_containers/spark-master:1.5.1_v2
           ports:
             - containerPort: 7077
             - containerPort: 8080
-          livenessProbe:
-            exec:
-              command:
-              - /opt/spark/sbin/spark-daemon.sh
-              - status
-              - org.apache.spark.deploy.master.Master
-              - '1'
-            initialDelaySeconds: 30
-            timeoutSeconds: 1
           resources:
             requests:
               cpu: 100m
diff --git a/examples/spark/spark-worker-controller.yaml b/examples/spark/spark-worker-controller.yaml
index 8f30003bb67..f9c0b022fe1 100644
--- a/examples/spark/spark-worker-controller.yaml
+++ b/examples/spark/spark-worker-controller.yaml
@@ -13,18 +13,9 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
         - name: spark-worker
-          image: gcr.io/google_containers/spark-worker:1.5.1_v1
+          image: gcr.io/google_containers/spark-worker:1.5.1_v2
           ports:
-            - containerPort: 8888
-          livenessProbe:
-            exec:
-              command:
-              - /opt/spark/sbin/spark-daemon.sh
-              - status
-              - org.apache.spark.deploy.worker.Worker
-              - '1'
-            initialDelaySeconds: 30
-            timeoutSeconds: 1
+            - containerPort: 8081
           resources:
             requests:
               cpu: 100m